Marine life-buoy



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet .1.

J. A. GUEST & J. H. BATES.

. MARINE LIFE'BUOY.

No. 512,957. Patented Jan. 16, 1894. I

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I J. A. GUEST 8: J. H. BATES.

MARINE LIFE BUOY Patented Jan. 16, 1894;

7 UNITED STATESL PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALDEN GUEST, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND

JAMES H. BATES, OF HOBOKEN, NEWV JERSEY.

I MARINELIFEI-BUQY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No: 512,957, dated January16, 1894. Application filed February 28, 1893. Serial No. 464,146. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES ALDEN GUEST,

of Washington, District of Columbia, and

JAMES H. BATES, of 'Hoboken, New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Marine LifeBu0ys, whereof the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to life buoys which are thrown into the water forthe support of persons in the water.

The invention consistsin providing such buoys with electric lamps;especially such as will be automatically lighted by the water, as forexample by the use of a battery which is energized by the water, or bythe use of a switch which is closed by the water or otherwise; also inthe construction of such a switch; also in certain other devices andcombinations, all of which are recited in the claims at the end hereof.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a buoy containing our invention.

Figure 1 isa side view partly in section. Fig.2 is an enlarged view ofone of the lamps and its inclosing cover partly in section to show themeans of attachment. Fig. 3 is a section of a switch box showing theswitch structure. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the body with the handlesin elevation. Fig. 5 is a side view of the buoy with ballast arm andelevated lamp. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the elevated lamp. Fig. 7is a side view showing a diiferent method of ballasting.

In the figures,1 is the body of the'buoy, and 2 are floats which,in theform shown,are arranged one at each end of the body. Both body andfloats may be made of spun metal or other suitable light material.

3 are handles for convenience in handlingv the device, and also forpersons in the water to hold on by. They may be in the form of loops orstraps, preferably of such size that a mans arm may be thrust through upto the shoulder, and they are preferably at such disstance apart that aperson in the water with his back to the buoy can thrust an arm througheach strap.

4. is the battery, which may be placed in the body 1 as shown in Fig. 1,or in the ballast arm 12 as shown in Fig. 5; in the latter case 7 theweight of the battery is of value as ballast. 5 represents the electriccircuit.

6 are chambers or boxes arranged at convenient points on the buoy wherethewater will enter them, their mouths being open for this purpose. Theelectric circuitis provided with terminal binding posts 8 set in a plugof insulating material 9, and serving to close the inner end of theboxes. The latter and the plug may both be tapered as shown.

7 are the contact pieces of the switch, held normally apart by a piece18 of rock salt or other material whose insulating power will bedestroyed by the water, either by solution or otherwise.

10 are incandescent lamps, of low voltage so as to be easily glowed bythe battery in multiple series. Each lamp is protected by a bell glass11. This glass is secured bya ring 14: and screws, and is made watertight and secured from breakage by elastic material embracing itsflange, such as two washers of rubber 15 and 16. The lamps may be placedon the floats2 or other part of the buoy. 'We. have found it a goodplan, especially in large buoys, to place one lamp on an arm 13 whichwill hold it up above the water.

17, Fig. 2, is the lamp base, which may be soldered to 2.

Inlarge buoys we find it a good plan to provide the body of the buoywith an arm 12, Fig. 5, carrying the battery or other weight at its end,for ballasting purposes; but in small buoys we prefer'to place theballasting weights in the floats 2, as shown at 12, Fig. 7.

19 is a hand hole.

Obviously many structural variations may be made in the above apparatuswithout departing from our invention, and we wish it understood that weclaim all such. go

We claim 1. In alifebuoy,in combination, an electric lamp, a circuit inwhich the lamp is included,

a source of electricity and an electric switch both carried by the buoy,said switch contacts 9 5 being normally insulated by a material whoseinsulating power is destroyed by water, substantially as set forth.

3. A life buoy, provided with a ballasting arm, an electric batterycarried thereby, an.

upward projecting arm, an electric lamp thereon, and an electric circuitconnecting said battery and said lamp substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a life buoy providedwith the open mouthedboxes 6, and an electric device contained thereinand adapted, when acted on by the water, to shoot a current through thecircuit including them.

In testimony whereof we claim theforegoing as our invention and hereuntoset our 2c hands this 14th day of February, 1893.

J. ALDEN GUEST. JAMES H. BATES. Witnesses:

ANNA JOSEPHINE GUEST, J. E. STONE.

